I recently caught up with Robert Kramer, the CEO and driving force behind Brookdale Plastics. Below are his thoughts on internal marketing:

What is internal marketing?

It's a concerted effort to inform and involve a company's employees and others with a vested interest. Internal marketing seeks to provide these people with first-hand information (as opposed to second or even third-hand information). The by-products of internal marketing are emotional involvement and motivation.

What elements make up Brookdale's internal marketing effort?

There are really two types-internal and external. On the internal side, Brookdale hosts several company events including the "Plastic Classic-an annual golf tournament for employees only. This gives employees a great opportunity to interact with that employee you see every day but don't talk to at all. In the winter, we also have our 'Plastic Bowl-a bowling tournament for employees and guests.

On the external side, we have an active publicity campaign designed to get press coverage for Brookdale. When our employees, stakeholders and even spouses of workers see these articles (or reprints of them) they're convinced again that Brookdale is a credible and legitimate company.

This press presence also acts as a recruiting device. I can't count the number of unsolicited calls I've received from people wanting to work at Brookdale after seeing an article in the paper.

How has this internal marketing effort helped Brookdale?

Quite frankly, it increases our retention rate. Workers feel a greater sense of pride in working at Brookdale, so they stay. It also helps motivate our employees. After reading a complimentary article about Brookdale in Star Tribune or Plastics News, the employee gets a renewed sense of energy about working here.

Internal marketing also makes Brookdale a 'funner' place to work. People get to know one another a little bit better. They may approach another employee with an idea more readily after having ridden in a golf cart for 18 holes.

It's all about keeping the lines of communication open & maybe even establishing new lines. The friendship that started between the head of purchasing and the shift supervisor may now actually lead to a business building idea.

What advice about starting an internal marketing effort would you give a growing company owner today?

First, make sure any internal marketing is legitimate and fits the company well. For example, in the dead of summer, we brought in a Sno-Cone machine. It gets pretty hot on a plastics shop floor, especially in the summer. So we thought we'd have a little fun with it and the Sno-Cones were a big hit.

Also, make sure the company funds 100% of these internal marketing events. Not one penny should come out of an employee's pocket. All internal marketing efforts must be perceived as 'perks' by the employees. The fact that a company benefits from the whole effort is just icing on the cake.

To contact Robert directly, call him at (612)797-1031.